St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-03
GENERAL NICHOLS OPENING
SPEECH
PlcHy une.

The rally of the Democracy At Il CHI
ar, Station, East ,tnri Rouge, Sr>trI-
day Was >pItn.iIi one. Ihr appear
a,lct. of General Nichnils b"f"It the
people ELECTED great enthusiasm. aud
there was pintmhty the a'g'st as EN-
lily ever held in that parish.
II had. been drcuile S!uce GeurihI
NtcholISsIat Appealed AIMING those
people. but the memory ~ his heroic
services WAS fresh, and their fnlth III
his honor, his patriotism anh bis h"V"-
tiun to the Democratic party was rs
strong az ever. They received him
with open arms, and pledged their al
legiance to his cause.
Tie speech with which General Nj
cholls oprued the campaign is pub
lishpd elsewhere. IT. is worthy of the
man and 0t the occasion. There are
no attempts at rhetoric, nor does be III
duly.. in any of the tricks Of the orator
to- catch the applause of the audience
Buf it ia rpplrte with cloQuence, the
rluoupncp uf honorable deeds, and Il
self sacrificing devotion 10 the cause of
the State l. is AT once defensive and
Aggressive, conservative yet candid.
The men who have been rIandr,ing
General Nichnlls and attempting to
laruisI. his record as Il Democrat have
~ This speech magnificent contrast
drawn between their kind Of D-mn-
t,ary and that of men like NrhnllS.
HIS Democracy Ia Htttstfd 10y nnss!fl>h
devotion to the cause 0f the people, an
obedience tn thtil wishes ami ftar-
less vndicatinn Of their rights. His
whole life record speaks for itself. but
the simple story which he tells ut the
irnuhIo,ls times when all eyes were
J Il L.; ftx. Il .,f th.
party and the State, contrasts rti"ngly
enough With The petty deeds OF ih"sr
, who would now faiu read him out of
the party
And when the brave soldier and
study patriot contrasts in his plain aud
manly way his rrcor.: aud that of the
office grabbing aud power seeking and
! .clt-aggrandizing set who claim To TIE
/ a,ostI+s Of the latttr-day Louisiana
/ Democracy, the people cannut Ietltate
! 10 chose.
! But hs sides this, my fel ow-cltizrns, upon
| what portion OF my life or Of my record 40
! saying or sipposing that | have not be- in
! the past or shall not he i'll the future. OF my
! paople. with my people and for my people III
/ an, and ever; emergency where their safety.
| ihrIr good their honor or their welfare Is at
! stake I
| Was not with them. in the trying days OF
/ the rDIlttutfacNf Dli |, III tnJ liiit lhtlFi Al
| NY fla tn and my devotion during that stl ug
III Was I not constantly alongside OF tn. IN
for eight years. in the dark da = of recon~'ruc-
| ton wlrn could not hold office. and for a
/ mart of the tine could not vote, being pre-
.crihed and tlisfranclised by the federal
| government rs q confederate solditrf Was
! no after I had taken on my uniform ami
R,ihgra 81, re supposed. forever from strife
and lta,d a. forced ilke inany ur y"n were
forced to risk my life again and AGAIN t"r the
vindicati"n Of our rights and the preservation
of our clvilZatons
Fellow -cr tiz. Us. these people are crazy when
they -ay themselves, or ask you so believe that
a lliau shuull 60 hack upon the REGARD Of his
Elio life, and this Rithout any motive what
s0tVtr.
A citizen who had rendered such pub
Tic service had no need to give II rra-
snl, for his appearance as candidate
for any position within the gift of the
people, hat General Nichols felt called
upon 40 . true Democrat. painful 10